Bundle-carrier for harvesters



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. W. ELLIS. BUNDLE CARRIER FOR HARVESTERS.

No. 480,944. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. W4ELLIS. BUNDLE GARRIER 'POR HARVESTBRS. No. 480,944. 4 Patented Aug.16. 1892.

qwi/h wooeo (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3..

L. W; ELLIS.

BUNDLE CARRIER FOR HARVBSTERS.

No.480,944. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUGIEN W. ELLIS, OF ANAMOSA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM DEERING, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUNDLE-CARRIER FOR HARVESTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iietters Patent No. 480,944, dated August16, 1892.

Application filed November 20, 1885- Serial No. 183,395. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIEN W. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Anamosa, in the county of Jones and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in sheaf-Carriers forGrain-Binding Harvesters, of which the following is a full,

, clear, and exact specification.

, rectly to thebinder, and which shallbe adapted to discharge thebundles by a movement of the carrying-fingers downward, backward, andobliquely inward toward the side of the harvester.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation ofthe device attached to the harvester. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theseat and foot-board of the harvester with the trip-lever attached. Fig.3 is a plan view ofthe device for actuating the fingers and dischargingthe bundles, together with a portion of the bundle-carrier. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of a device for locking the carrier-fingers in operativeposition. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the carrier with thefingers in two different positions. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of thecarrier in one of its forms. Fig. 7 is an elevation from the inner orgrain side of a modified form of the pivotal support for thecarrier-fingers. Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing the pivotal supportin still another form. Fig.0 is a perspective view showing the fingerand its support in the most simple and preferred form. Fig. 10 is aperspective view showing two fingers of the form represented in Fig. 9and their actuating device. Fig. 11 is an end view, partly in section,showing a modified support for the side-board of my carrier. Fig. 12 isa top plan View showing the carrier with two series of fingers.

Like letters indicate like parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the binder deck or table,forming the lower portion of an ordinary grain-binding machine andlocated at the outer side of the main supporting-wheel A, over which theunbound grain is carried by an ordinary elevator A from theharvester-platform to the binding mechanism. The harvester, elevator,and binder may all be of ordinary construction, and form 110 part ofmyinvention. The grain is bound in an ordinary manner upon the deck ortable A and the'sheaves delivered successively from the lower stubbleedge of the table.

My carrier comprises in each of its various forms sheaf-sustainingfingers journaled in inclined axes or bearings to cause them to movedownwardly and backwardly in an oblique path and sidewardly toward theirsupport in discharging their load, which bearings are supported bya sideboard or bar lying in a fore-and-aft direction beneath the delivery edgeof the binding-table, and sides,

limits, guards, or means of some kind to prevent the bundles whendischarged onto the carrier from being carried by their momentum or thejolting of the harvester beyond and off of the carrier-fingers. I willhere say that I do not desire or intend to limit myself to anyparticular kind of guard, side, limit, or means to prevent the-lateraldisplacement of the bundles, as I intend to claim the carrier broadlyand generically when provided with carrier-fingers mounted on inclinedpivots or axes permitting the fingers to fold rearwardly, downwardly,and sidewardly in discharging, which I regard as the novel and essentialfeature of construction of my carrier, whatever provision be made toprevent the lateral escape of the sheaves from the fingers. Theside-board is preferably set, as shown in Fig. l, with its face at aninclination of from twenty to thirty degrees to the vertical and issuspended from the binder at each end by means of arms or bracketsb b.brackets, which are firmly attached at their outer ends to theside-board, with hooks at their inner ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.The hook of the outer bracket Z) may be engaged upon the stud r on thebinder and the hook of the inner bracket 12' engagedupon the I makethese I rod i,forming, as usual, a part of the binder frame and asupport therefor. The bracket 12' is secured in position on the rod tbyapin or key t'. It may be made, as in Fig. 11, of two parts lapped uponeach other and provided with slots to receive a connecting-bolt in orderthat its length may be varied to change the inclination of theside-board, and thereby the position of the fingers.

In its most simple form my carrier is constructed as shown in Figs. 9and 10, each of the carrier-fingers 0 being formed of a rod or wirehaving its inner end turned upward to form a journal or axis, which isseated in a bearing-plate c rigidly attached to the side-' board E. Theupright journals of the fingers have'an inclination substantiallycorrespond ing with that of the board E in a vertical plane at rightangles to the length of the board, or, in other words, at right anglesto the direction in which the machine advances.

Itwil'l be observed that these journals are inclined not onlyin relationto the perpendicular, but also in relation to the bodies of the fingersC. When, therefore, the fingers are projected laterally from the machineto receive the bundles, they stand in a substantially horizontalposition. Each finger may, however be swung rearward at its outer endaround the journal at its inner end, and in consequence of theinclination of this journal the outer end of the finger in movingrearward also moves downward and inward toward the side of theharvester. Thus, it will be perceived, the fingers swing rearward,downward, and inward around individual axes in paths which are obliqueto thesurface of the ground. Owing to the fact of their swingingrearward about individual.

axes, they close not only toward the machine, but alsotoward each other,each finger folding closely against the side of the next, so that theentire series of fingers is closed together in compact form at the sideof themachine. This capacity of the fingers to fold rearward, downward,and inward is of the essence of my invention. The joints by which theyare supported to admit of these peculiar movements may be variouslyconstructed. A few of the various joints adapted to permit this movementwill be hereinafter described. There are alsoothers their mechanicalequivalents which will readilysugg'est themselves toany mechanic skilledin the art after reading this specification.

For the purpose of controlling the pivotal or swinging motion of thefingers I provide the journal or axis of each finger with a crank-armand connect the series of crank arms by a bar or similar device tocompel their movement in unison. In the form of finger already referredto (shown in Figs. 9 and 10) the upper end of the journal is bent toform a crank 11., the finger, its journal, and the crank being in thisinstance formed in one piece. i

Fig. 10 illustrates the connecting-barD,

provided with holes in which the cranks u are snugly seated. A springmis fastened at one end totheside-board E, coiled at its middle, andpassed at its opposite end through an eye on the connecting-bar, asshown in Fig. 10. This spring, urging the bar rearward, acts through thecranks to hold the fingers normally in their extended or receivingposition and to return them thereto after they have been swung to therear to discharge the load. In order to swing the fingers rearward tothe dumping or discharging position, I propose to connect with the bar Doperating or tripping devices of suitable character under the control ofthe driver. A simple mechanism to this end is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and3, in which it will be seen that the connecting-bar D isconnected by achain a to an elbow-lever a, mounted on the forward end of theside-board E. From this lever a rod 0 extends to a second elbow-lever a,mounted on the forward part of the harvester and connected in its turnby a rod 0 to the lower end of acentrally-pivoted lever f, mounted onthe customary seat-plank of the machine in position to be convenientlyoperated by the driver while occupying his seat. When the upper end ofthis foot-lever is pressed forward, the fingers will swing positivelytoward the rear. The discharge of the bundle therefrom is due not onlyto the fact that the fingers fall at the outer end, so that the bundlestendto slide therefrom, but also to the fact that the fingers swinginglaterally toward the machine and toward each other trail sidewise fromunder the bundles as the latter pass successively to the ground. Throughthe described inclination of the journals or axes the fingers tend toswing rearward by reason of their own gravity and that of the load assoon as they are turned slightly rearward from their receiving position;but when in the receiving position there is little or no such tendency.

Instead of connecting the spring m, which returns the fingers to theirnormal or receiving position, to the bar D, as above described, springsmay be applied for the same purpose to the axes of the individualfingers, as hereinafter explained.

In order to return the lever connections, commonly known as the trippingdevices, to their normal position, I recommend the application of areturning-spring a", as shown in Fig. 4. This springa of spiral form, ismounted on the journal of the lever a, with one end bearing on the leverand the other seated against or fixed to the side-board E.

While Irecommend for general use the fingers having the inclined axesintegral therewith, as above described, I will now describe other andequivalent forms of pivotal supports by which the fingers may be giventhe desired motion.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a journal or axis 9 is seated in aninclined position to turn inbearings on the back of the sideger C isformed with an eye and mounted loosely on the rod h, subject to thedownward pressure of aspiral spring n, which is mounted on the upper endof said rod. The device as a whole turns around the journal g, which,being inclined in the same manner as the journals heretofore described,causes the fingers to swing downward and inward toward the rear,theaction of the parts in this regard being precisely the same as if thefinger 0 were rigidly fixed to the journal g. The receiving-finger Crests in the eye g as a fulcrum. When the fingers are loaded at theouter ends, they overcome the resistance of the spring and fall tosubstantially a horizontal position. When, however, they are swung tothe rear and the load discharged, the springs 'n. act to lift theirouter ends clear of the stubble, so that they may swing forward withoutresistance to their normal position. It will be observed'that thisvertical motion of the fingers under the influence of spring n isentirely distinct and apart from the motion by which it discharges thebundles and is solely for the purpose of lifting the ends clear of theground,'so thattheymaynotbeprevented from swinging forward. The mannerof connecting and operating these parts in connection with thisparticular form of device is also shown in Fig. 1.

The crank-arms u of the devices shown in Figs. 6 and 7 maybe connectedand controlled by a rigid bar applied thereto and operated in the samemanner as the bar D. (Shown in Fig. 10.) 1

In the finger-supporting joint represented in Fig. 8 an inclined journal9 is provided at the lower end with an eye 9 and at the upper end with acrank-arm u, and mounted in an inclined position in bearings on theboard E in the same manner asin the preceding eX- ample. Thecarryingfinger C is passed loosely through the eye and rigidly attachedto an arm 9 the upper end of which is connected by a horizontal pivot nto the upper end of journal g. A curved arm 9 attached to the arm 9 andpassing through the crankarm, is encircled by a spiral spring n, whichacts, like the spring 01 of the preceding device, to lift the outer endsof the fingers 0 clear of the ground as soon as they are relieved fromtheirload. The device as a whole swings rearward around the journal 9 asan axis, the fingers having a downward, rearward, and inward movement,or, in other words, a movement in an oblique path,to effect the deliveryof the bundles. The crank-arms of these devices may be connected andcontrolled in the same manner as the cranks in the other examples.

For the purpose of swinging the fingers forward from their dumping totheir receiving positions I propose to provide each of the inclinedjournals, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, with an encircling spring m,attached atone end to the journal'and bearing at the other against theboard E, its tendency being by resisting the rotation of the journal 9to prevent the fingers from swinging rearward and to swing them forwardafter they have been forcibly carried to the rear. This returningspringmay be applied to the individual fingers in each of the several forms ofmy joint. If desired, the axis of each finger may be inclined not onlyin a direction transverse to the line of travel, as already explained,but also in the direction of the line of travel, or, in other words, inan upward and rearward direction, as shown in Fig. 7. This inclinationin a fore-and-aft direction contributes, also, to the falling motion ofthe finger as it swings to the rear, and if sufficiently great it wouldalone permit the end of the finger to rise and fall the requireddistance.

In practice I use four movable fingers; but a greater or less number maybe used if found desirable.

In some cases I find it desirable to so connect the series of fingersthat in the event of one of them being obstructed in its movement theothersmaystill be operated. This of course cannot be done when a rigidconnecting-bar is applied to the cranks, as above described, andillustrated in Fig. 10. It may be accomplished,however, by theconstruction shown in Fig. 5. In this figure the connecting-bar D ispivoted to two sustaining arms or links H, which are in'turn pivoted tothe side-board E, so that as the bar is moved endwise it will move toand from the board and to and from the journals or axes of the fingers.The links H are made of a length greater than the throw of the cranks onthe fingers, so that the edge may be carried past the cranks withouttouching them. At suitable points on its edge the bar is provided withrigid pinse, which encounter the crankpins u as the bar is moved forwardto cause the dumping action of the fingers. This arrangement permits thebar and the other fingers to return to their normal positions, althoughone of the fingers, meeting an obstruction, is held to the rear. Inother words, it permits the individual fingers toswing rearward underthe influence of aresistance at its outer-end without affectingtheothers.

In order. that the fingers may be locked in their receiving positionafter reaching the samewithout interfering with the independent actionabove named, the bar D may be provided with spring-catches u to engageagainst the respective. cranks u on the for ward side. As the bar Dmovesforward and the fingers swing rearward the links H carry the barlaterally until the catchesv disengage from the cranks, so that althoughone of the fingers may be held by an obstruction in its backwardposition, as shown on the right hand in Fig. 5, the bar and theremaining fingers may return to the normal position. (Shown at the lefthand in thesame figure.) When the finger which was detained swings againto its normal position, its crank will override and engage behind thecatch, as before.

In order to prevent the fingers from being started rearward by thejolting of the machine or otherwise, a gravitating latch I is pivoted tothe side-board E and provided with 15 a shoulder P to engage one of thelinks H, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. The forward end of this latch has anunder beveled surface 0 in position to be acted upon'by the bell-cranklever a-. The connecting-chain a. is left sufficiently slack to admit ofthe lever disengaging the latch before the movement of the bar D begins.

In practice I prefer to employa single sideboard only with one set offingers. I may employ two side-boards-an inner one and an outer one-eachwith a series of fingers attached thereto, as shown in Fig. 12, in whichE and E represent two side-boards united at the forward end byacross-piece E The fingers O C are in two series, those of one seriesattached to the inner board and extending outward from the machine,while those of the other series are attached to the outer board E andextended inward toward the machine. The free ends of the two seriesstand when in the receiving position in close proximity to each other.The fingers are mounted to swing downward and rearward and to permit theescape of the sheaves between them. The sustainingaxes may beconstructed in either of the forms hereinbefore described. The fingersmay be connected and provided with crank-arms connected bycontrolling-chains, as shown in thedrawings, or by similar connections.In order to prevent the bundles y from falling outside when but oneside-board is used, the carrier is provided with a stationary guard F.This, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is simply a rigid bar extending fromthe side-board outward over the front of the carrier and thence rearwardover its outer side about one-third or one-half of its length. The guardmay be integral with the bracket or hanger b, which supports theside-board, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

It is not essential to the successful operation of my carrier that thedescent of the fingers shall be uniform throughout their whole course,and the word oblique is used herein in a relative sense to indicate agradual downward movement as the finger swings backward.

In the application of the novel principles herein set forth theinvention is not limited to the particular devices shown and described,as I am aware that the peculiar backward and downward movement of thefingers around individual axes may be effected in a great variety ofways and by many forms of equivalent devices invented by myself to thisend, those shown having been selected as illustrating in a simple waythe nature of the invention. The same may be said of the means forlifting the ends of the fingers and the discharge of their load, themeans for locking the fingers, and the means for independently actuatingthem.

By the phrases inclined from the vertical, inclined journals, inclinedas described, and similar phrases herein employed is meant suchinclination from the vertical as will cause the tooth to swing downward,rearward, andsideward.

Having thus described my invention, what I port by means of a jointhaving an axis obliquely inclined relative to the length of the body orsupporting portion of the finger to cause it to move downwardly,backwardly, and sidewardly toward its support, and means for preventingthe movement of the sheaves sideward ofi from the saidsupporting-fingers.

2. A sheaf-carrier consisting of fingers and a support for each fingeradapted to form a bottom to support sheaves and sides to prevent theirescape in lateral directions, said fingers being connected to theframework by means of joints having inclined axes, whereby they areadapted to move downwardly, rearwardly, and sidewardly toward theirsupports to draw from beneath the load.

3. A sheaf-carrier having side limits that prevent the bundles fromescaping, fingers adapted to lie beneath the sheaves and sustain theload, said fingers secured to the framework of the machine by means ofjoints having axes inclined, whereby the weight of said sheaves isinstrumental in turning the fingers downward and sideward to permit thedischarge of the load.

4. A sheaf-carrier for self-binding harvesters, consisting of areceptacle havingabottom for sustaining the weight of the sheaves andsides to prevent the escape of the sheaves in lateral directions, saidbottom consisting of fingers connected to the framework of the machineby j ointshavinginclined axes,whereby they are permitted to swingrearwardly,

downwardly, and sidewardly to draw from rier-fingers until discharged.

6. In a sheaf-carrier, the combination of a i, r "saw a bar E, lying ina fore-and-aft direction, a s

ries of sheaf-receiving fingers, each having a journal or pivot mountedon the bar at an inclination from the vertical-in position to allow thefinger to swing rearward and downward sideward toward its support andeach havlng a crank-arm, a connection between said crank-arms, and anoperating device extending thence to a point adjacent to the driversseat, and a guard or side limit to retain the sheaves on thecarrier-fingers until discharged.

7. In a sheaf-carrier, the combination of a sustaining-bar, a series ofsheaf-receiving fingers extending normally in a lateral directiontherefrom and each sustained at the inner end by an axis obliquelyinclined relative to the length of the body or supporting portion of thefinger, around which it may swing rearwardly, backwardly, and sidewardlytoward its support, a bar connecting said fingers to compel theirmovement in unison, operating devices extending from the bar to a pointad jacent to the drivers seat, and a latch or look to hold such bar, andthus the fingers, in the receiving position, and a guard or side limitto retain the sheaves on the carrier-fingers until discharged,substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a grain harvester and binder, of a supportingboard or bar extending in a fore-and-aft direction, a series ofoutreaching sheaf-carrying fingers, each having at the inner end asupporting journal or axis inclinedfas shown and described, in relationto the body of the finger and to the vertical in a plane at right anglesto the line in which the machine advances, whereby the fingers arepermitted to swing rearward, downward, and inward toward their supportand toward each other, and a guard or side limit to r'etain the sheaveson the carrier-fingers bar E, in combination with a series oflaterally-projecting sheaf-receiving fingers, each I having at its innerend a sustaining-journal inclined, as described and shown, in relationto the body of the finger and also inclined in the direction of thelength of the board.

10. In a sheaf-carrier, and in combination 5o with a sustaining-bar, aseries oflaterally-extending sheaf receiving fingers, inclined journalsor axes by which said fingers are sustained and around which they swingwith a rearward, downward, and sideward movement 5 5 toward theirsupport,a bar connecting said fingers to compel their movement inunison, andaspringtendingtohold the fingers in their normal or receivingposition, and a guard or side limit to retain the sheaves on thecarrierfingers until discharged.

11. In combination with a sheaf-carrier composed of fingers individuallypivoted to swing rearward, the stationary guard F, ex-

tending over the end and along the outer side .of the carrier to preventthe accidental escape of the sheaves therefrom.

12. In a sheaf-carrier, a series of sheaf-receiving fingers pivoted uponapproximately vertical axes to swing rearwardly and each provided with acrank, in combination with an' operating-bar D, provided with latches vand pins e to operate the respective cranks.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUOIEN W. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. CLARK, E. R. WATTERS.

